Heavy duty, commercial brush cutters have been used in connection with forestry management, right-of-way clearing and maintenance, and for similar purposes. These brush cutters typically employ heavy steel rotary circular blades that are mounted on tracked or rubber-tired vehicles by means of a boom or boom combination. The brush cutter blade is typically powered hydraulically and controlled from an operator's cab on the vehicle. An exemplary prior art blade may be six feet in diameter, weigh several hundred pounds, and contain upper and lower cutting teeth. Such a blade can thus cut brush from its upper and lower surfaces as well as its perhiphery. The momentum built up by a cutter blade of this size and the forces imposed on its supporting structure are substantial. Therefore, a substantial mounting assembly is required to handle the weight and kinetic energy forces present in the operation of such a brush cutter at the end of a boom. The resulting structure often has inhibited mobility and therefore limited application.
For example, in power line right-of-way maintenance, the brush cutter must be capable of traversing rugged terrain and negotiate around stumps and rocks without damage to the cutter assembly or its mounting assembly. For such uses, a highly mobile vehicle is required. Moreover, since the cutter blade can pick up a log or limb and slam it into the vehicle, the vehicle must be reinforced sufficiently to avoid the resulting impact force causing significant damage up to and including a breakdown.